Nanjing blogs

Expat life

The Fu family, simple working class folk, are among the kindest people I have met in Nanjing.

Yesterday, they invited me to their home to enjoy a New Year's feast.

Last year, I had NY dinner with my boss and co-workers in some high-class place that was nothing worth remembering. Thus, I was really looking forward to dining with the Fu's.

Out of my house and looking for a taxi, I found a whole bunch of fireworks vendors on the street.

After some quick research, I learned that there are two meanings behind the tradition of lighting fireworks at Chinese New Year: to awaken the sleeping dragon, and to ward off evil spirits.

There was a huge line-up at this shop. Their biggest banger (with multiple light explosions) was selling for 220 RMB.

When I showed up at the Fu's, Mr. Fu immediately cracked open the baijiu.

Grinning, he told me: "Last year I was the only one drinking. This year, you are my special guest, so we will have a good time. After the baijiu we've got lots of beer."

While Mr. Fu and I made toasts, the kiddies occupied themselves with a Chinese vampire flick (and later the Vancouver Olympics) while the women bustled in and out with a wide variety of dishes.

As the dishes got brought out, Mr. Fu explained that he did most of the cooking.

Preparations started a week ago (salting the meats, making the sausages, etc), and they had made enough to feast royally for the next several days.

Starting from the top left and going clockwise: stewed pork; sliced sausages; shaved salted beef; '100-year-old' eggs; stewed chicken; greens, salted pork in jelly; stewed fish in the middle.

Finally all the dishes were brought out. The family gathered around the table. I asked to take a pic before we started eating, and they kindly obliged, with a New year's prayer of thanks for the feast.

The food was excellent. For the next three hours, we ate at a casual pace while going through a bottle of Baijiu, a half dozen beers, and a number of cigarette breaks. Eventually the kiddies went outside for some badminton action.

Finally it was time to leave. Mrs. Fu gave me a couple of flatbreads for the road, and then I was off. On the taxi ride home, what struck me the most during the meal was the wonderful hospitality my hosts showed.

It is a memory that I will treasure for a long time: spending time with a close-knit Chinese family for an extended meal of well-prepared delicacies on one of the most important days of the year.

It's experiences like these that have made China one of my favorite places in Asia.

Happy New year! 

Musings

So tomorrow is the time we all embrace ourselves with Love or so i hope.Sadly it seems like the zeal for Spring festival has cast an oversized shadow over the day of lovers.Poor Chinese chaps now they not only have to worry about buying some stupid candles,Chocolates,crappy 'hug me'bears(don't know whether everybody does that,most of my Chinese buddies do)for that perfect Valentine experience while spending some quality time with their families.The Chinese also have a day devoted to love. Qi Qiao Jie, or the seventh eve (of 7th month in the lunar calendar), is often referred to as Chinese Valentine's Day which not surprisingly have a couple of legends that surrounds its origin(and no it doesn't mention anything about St Valentines).Its the one day that clearly bisects the human race into two groups.

Musings

Thank you to everyone who came to Nail bar on Friday and Saturday night to see my last two shows. I could not have asked for a better sendoff.
Both nights were fantastic fun and had great crowds, I was fortunate to have been able to see an awful lot of the people in Nanjing who have made a deep impression on me and I was able to say goodbye.
There were many people I did not get a chance to see. I hope someday we'll all meet again.

I am, as I write, downloading the footage of my last night in Nanjing and I must thank Leo for being good enough to arm the camera and capture the last set of the evening, it worked out much better than the first set and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. Also, thanks to Brendon for  the 4 minute cleavage commentary and to Hamish and Craig Berry for their Stagnant Pond performance! I have always wanted to have those soulful ditties to listen to whenever I wish, and now I can enjoy 'The 10%', 'I don't want to be a Tepanyaki Chef', 'Half a Bottle of Baijio Baby' and the rest whenever I please. Cheers lads.

As for the gig itself, I have to thank Kerri for her fantastic performances. We did at duet on route 66 and Kerri sang the classic from Porgy and Bess, 'Summertime', solo and she did a fantastic job. Apologies to Fran - you know, I hope, that it was unintentional. That will remain with me for as long as I perform as a lesson in careless perfomance. I think you are awesome and I am so glad you were able to take it with good grace and accept my apology. I cringe when I think of it!
I also cringe when I watch the footage from Jimmy's. As Craig Berry suggested it shall go into the 'Watch Later Vault', alongside the New Years Eve footage, as something to view when I need the motivation to give up drinking!!!
I am glad I have it, though. Priceless memories that would have otherwise been lost with the braincells that were killed off!

I have just woken up from a 14 hour sleep after getting home last night. My parents made one of their typically lavish and phenomenal dinners - ginger and lime BBQ'd king prawns on skewers; tomato bocconcini and fresh basil salad; and Australian scotch fillet, BBq'd, served on a ciabatta slice slow cooked with pheasant farm pate, covered in madeira and mushroom gravy. Followed by peach Melba and mum's home made amaretto ice cream. Yes, I am bragging but, I hope, also convincing some of you to come for a visit to Oz as it will be a while before I can come for a visit back to Nanjing. Definitely when not if.

As I sit on the verandah in the middle of nowheresville, Australia, I am filled with an extraordinary sense of calm that I have not had in quite a while. Calm never occurs in the middle of an adventure, and that is what my time in China was to me - A mad, whirlwind rollercoaster adventure.
I did most of the things I had planned to do in China with the notable exception of not travelling to Lashan; and I did things I never thought I would do like sing Italian opera at 798 in Beijing for China's inaugural biennale and have a regular gig at a jazz club. The whole experience just blows my tiny little brain!

I will be checking up, using Hello Nanjing and good ol' fashined email, on the activities and fun that is being had, but as I am no longer there I will not be writing any more blogs as they aren't relevant to Nanjing and this site is, after all, Hello Nanjing. If I don't already have your email and you'd like to keep in touch then send me a message through here.

So, goodbye
slán
再见
arrivederci
auf weidersehen
до свидания
vaarwel

live long and prosper
Ka Plah!
So long and thanks for all the fish.

Nightlife

Having just had a two week holiday in Hong Kong I return to find Nanjing a little flat... However to my surprise and delight last night I found Tony 'the guitar man'  at Don Quixote has also returned to Nanjing from his annual holiday to his home in Manila (Philippines) . with new songs and a happy to be here attitude it was great to spend a hour or so listening to him singing his heart out. Just wish they would take the dice game away from the tables... it really drowns him out! I have told them but they dont listen.... am i the only one to complain about this?  Great voice need to hear it better!

By the way .... sometimes he arrives with the most wonderful chocolate cake ... if you know him well he will let you try some... trust me its the best i have ever tasted... and i have done a few chocolate cakes in my time! Hmmmm,

Word on the street

Here's some bad news for anyone that owns a 50cc scooter or is planning on buying one (this doesn't affect electric scooters) - the local traffic bureau of Nanjing is planning on cutting down the amount of scooter-related accidents by reclassifying them from 'moped' to 'light motorcycle'.

Under the current rules, a scooter whose speed is limited to 50kmh (31mph) and has an engine capacity of 50cc or under does not require a driving license to operate but does require green 'moped' license plates. However, many people do not register their bikes as the license plate can be more expensive than a decent used moped, and the penalty if caught is a mere 200RMB + 30 days confiscation.

However, as of sometime this year (exact date unknown), 50cc bikes will be reclassified as 'light motorcycles' - this means that you will require a Chinese driving license to operate the bike and you'll also need yellow light motorcycle license plates - and the penalties for riding unlicensed will be much harsher. I also think that after the new rules come into play there will be a lot more police checks as well.

Anyone that is thinking of buying a scooter but doesn't have a Chinese license or can't afford to get the vehicle registered should consider an alternative such as an electric scooter.

Anyone who already has a scooter will face bigger problems - they'll be much harder to sell on, and unless you know Nanjing's back alleyways pretty well then there will be some harsh penalties in store for you if you get caught unlicensed. In Suzhou, where these rules were introduced last year, the number of 50cc scooters on the road is almost none as most people will favour more powerful 125cc bikes or electric scooters which do not require licensing. Your best bet is to try and sell your bike in a nearby city which has not been affected by these rules - as far as I know Zhenjiang and Yangzhou still allow mopeds, but they've been reclassified in Wuxi and Suzhou.

If you want to keep riding then I think a lot of fake plates will be available - make sure that they are yellow and start with '苏A' as this is the area code for Nanjing. Also, foreigners should wear a full-faced crash helmet as a foreigner on a motorbike is almost certainly unlicensed and you should try and look inconspicuous. Finally, avoid major intersections such as Zhongshan Lu/Hanzhong Lu or the Gulou traffic circle as these are where most checks take place.

Musings

As my time here draws to an end I am reminded of something a good friend told me "don't let this be all there is."

Thank you Leonie, I promise I won't.

Nanjing, and indeed, China, has been a singularily extraordinary experience. Everything here is the opposite to what I am used to and that has been instrumental in gaining a resonable and fair perspective on my time here and my attitude toward life, lifestyle and civilisation in general and in specifics.

The friends I have made in Nanjing will be sorely, and in many cases painfully missed, but I believe that we will all continue friendships if we consider them to be worth continuing. And there are many that I consider to be vital.

I will not be returning in the forseeable future.
There is an entire planet, and then some, that is open for the experience. My future will be filled with as much as I dare to venture into.
I fervently hope to return to visit the crowd that I have come to consider friends  - no, not friends, more than that, but indefineable. I hope they find as fulfilling a future as I intend to.

I shall be less a person for want of the friends I have made here and more of a person for the difficulties I have overcome.

As I have stated; China has been extraordinary. The country itself and the people, asian and 'old strangers' (don't think you are anything but) have been the singular defining points and contradictions in this country that have made it so incomprehensible to me, yet I feel I am more wordly for it. I understand less now aboout the human condition - impulse, response and conditioning - than before I came and yet I am more resolved in the dignities and civilities of my own culture that I can thank China and the experience gained from living here for it.

I will miss the friends that have shown their worth and I hope you will stay in touch.

Despite the bashing that caused my permanent hearing loss, I hope I will be able to fly for a company that services Nanjing one day and visit those of my dear friends who are still here. The rest of you - I hope I have the opportunity to fly you somewhere one day. For free, of course!
If not, I sing at weddings, funerals and Bahmitzvahs!!

Word on the street

Over the past couple of weeks, the Nanjing Arts Institute has been flooded with students coming to take admissions tests for the 2010-2011 school year.

While Shanghai's Art Institute is the most esteemed one in eastern China, Nanjing's is the top one in the province, at least.

Unlike students applying to non-art schools, arts candidates not only have to take a written test, but they must also do a performance as well. Usually in a group, under tense conditions, in fast factory-like processing. "Neeeext!!!"

Let's take a closer look...

Reviews

Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink. Luckily this is not the case here in Nanjing. In fact there is a over abundance of soft drinks, energy drinks, milk teas, cold teas, cold coffees, herbal drinks and more... What to choose, what to choose

Tonight I have forgone a pre-dinner snack and instead decided to try out five different drinks available here in Nanjing.

1. Wong Lo Kat Herbal Tea

(Aka, the herbal tea in the red can).

This is as the name suggests, an herbal tea in a can. It is fairly sweet in taste and has no "tea" taste per se. (As it has no tea leaves in it but, but rather chinese medical herbs). Formally only popular in the GuangZhou region, it has now infiltrated the rest of China and can be found in any Suguo in Nanjing.

The chinese medicine properties of this drink are to clear heat and toxins from the body, however in my opinion (professionally), most the effects are offset by the huge amounts of sugar added to make it palatable for the average person. Despite its dubious medical claims, its a not bad tasting drink and a better alternative to some others, especially in the hot summer months. 

3. Walnut Drink

In a nice tall blue can is this walnut drink. It is similar to what one could expect from "walnut milk" or other nut milks available in american health food stores plus some extra sugar. Ingredients include water, sugar and walnut.

The walnut drink has a slightly thicker quality to it. If it was milk, its akin to homo milk while the almond drink is 2% milk. The coconut juice falls somewhere in between the two. 

4. Coconut Palm Juice

The coconut palm juice comes in the same shape of can as the walnut and almond milk but in black rather than blue. Its taste is somewhat similar to the two nut based drinks but the one major difference is that this particular drink has chunks of coconut meat floating around inside. So that may be the make or break for you and this drink. Personally I am not a fan of it. The plus side of the coconut over the two others is the taste is much smoother.

5. Almond Drink

The last of the three tall canned drinks is the almond drink. Like the other 2 above, it is sweetened with sugar and tastes fairly similar. However it is the most watery of the three and only has a slight almond flavor. In my opinion it is the most neutral of the three in taste. Chances are if you like one of these three drinks you will like them all.

In Summary

I didnt mind all of the five drinks but I wouldnt nessesary drink the Wong Lo Kat red drink regularily. Of the three tall canned drinks I am more partial to the walnut because of its thickness and therefore I feel its a better replacement for milk (especially when used in cooking or in cereal). As to the Ginger Ale its just a nice change from all the Coke, Pepsi 7-Up and other more commonly avaliavable.

Reviews

The other day, I got an email from JT, co-owner of My Place. He asked if I could help promote a special: Singaporean-style pork rib soup.

So I posted an event listing for him. Then HelloNanjing user Brian posted an interesting comment on the listing:

Uhhh, what is Singapore-style pork rib soup exactly? I did a search online, and I am guessing it is Teochew-style bak kut teh?

Well, Brian's post got me thinking, so I emailed JT back, asking for more information about the soup, in order to help promote it's merits more effectively.

He replied back with a suggestion to come in and try it. Thus, HelloNanjing staffers Patric and Fran met up with me at My Place to check out the Pork Rib Soup.